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19/08/2013

Telstar - The Joe Meek Story

I was
intrigued to watch this movie when it was shown on TV last week having missed
it when it was released about five years back and knowing next to nothing about
its subject. What I did know- like most people who’ve heard the name- is that
Joe Meek produced the first UK record to reach the top of the US charts,
`Telstar`. This strange otherworldly instrumental would be an unlikely hit in
today’s eclectic music world but for 1962 it is a remarkable achievement. That
it was concocted in a ramshackle studio above a shop is even more amazing. Nick
Moran’s film seems determined to harness Meek’s spirit and is therefore noisy,
over the top, weird and quite fascinating.

"I wonder where the off switch is"

Robert
George Meek became a producer after developing an interest in sounds during his
childhood. Starting as an engineer his career soon gained enough traction for
him to rent three floors above a shop into which he packed all manner of
recording equipment and his own brand of unusual methodology. As portrayed in
the film with considerable energy by Con O’Neill, Meek uses whatever behaviour
he feels will best realise his sonic ambition largely consisting of bullying
and yelling at young musicians. Most (including the pre fame likes of Richie
Blackmore and Chas from Chas and Dave) are too timid to challenge him, those
who do generally end up dodging flying objects or being chased down the stairs.
All the while mental illness lurks in the background; as Meek’s grasp on
reality gradually slips under the combined pressure of the business, his belief
in spiritualism, copious intake of drugs and worry about his homosexuality.

O’ Neill’s bravura performance coupled with Moran’s mostly hectic direction has
the whiff of farce in the first half as people come and go as if in a sitcom.
Moran shrewdly allows the darkness to build with Meek’s rages becoming less and
less logical as he slides into paranoia. In this respect there is a certain in
-balance; we never meet the younger formative Meek so it is initially difficult
to root for him. He is presented from the off as a fearsome and unhinged
person.

This probably doesn't happen in recording studios nowadays

The
script’s stage origins are evident by the fact that the film rarely takes the
chance to move outside the Holloway Road studio. This gives matters an air of
unreality; it is hard to believe Meek remained here, fretting over everything
when his records are doing so well. When the film does step outside it gives
the impression of Meek being under siege in his bolt hole though there are also
some well - staged concert sequences. The advantage of this approach is
that there is space for each character to shine courtesy of some excellent
performances, notable Pam Ferris as the well-meaning landlady Violet Shenton
who puts up with so much chaos above her business and Tom Burke as Meek’s shy
co-writer who secretly idolises him but is treated poorly. Kevin Spacey also
impresses as Meek’s financial backer.

The film buzzes with the strange music Meek produced and we get an inkling of
his attempts to promote his artists while defending his position against the
more conventional business. We also see that his flawed judgement as he rejects
an early Beatles demo but lavishes large portions of his budget on talentless
singer Heinz because he fancies him. Once they become lovers and financial
problems mount, Meek starts to lose all perspective. Even the livelier earlier
scenes are intercut with shots of a crazed Meek smashing up awards and by the
end we reach 1967 when he killed first his landlady- portrayed here as
something of an accident- and then himself. Riven with paranoia and amphetamines
Meek is a figure we can finally feel sorry for as one by one he rejects
everyone. Moran shows them literally vanishing as each character has their
final confrontation with him.

Robbie Duke, who as a teenager acted as Meek’s assistant –and perhaps more
according to the script- has claimed that the film does not portray the end
with accuracy; he has denied he and Meek were anything other than work
colleagues and also that he saw the producer kill himself being occupied at
that moment helping the stricken Violet. His character is not properly
introduced so you do get a sense he is being used to give the denouement more of
a dramatic air. As Duke is the only survivor of the three, we have to take his
word as to what occurred and the veracity of the film has also been questioned
by the family of Heinz.

The conclusion that Moran seems to have reached about Joe Meek is that though
he had wild ideas, he needed others to focus and develop them. The narrative is
blurry on exactly how much credit he deserves for his hits, the story
incomplete enough to give us the full picture. Look up his biog online and you
discover a cartload of other records he produced but none are really mentioned
here in lieu of the juiciest – and possibly exaggerated- story. Despite this
and the hint of theatricality that undermines some of the realism Telstar
is a fascinating film that offers a distinctly unglamorous take on fame and
success in the 60s.